So, if you read last week’s issue, you are now familiar with the fact that we have an ocean right next door, which we rarely if ever take advantage of. The majestic Atlantic offers a bounty of resources and opportunities to UMass Boston students, but they seem to ignore her more and more everyday. There are abundant ways that students here can benefit from the ocean. So get up off your collective butts and take the short walk down to the sea, and experience everything she has to offer.
The Mass Media has already reported Abigail Balme’s plan to bring back the sailing team, but there’s also another great way to get on the water that requires no skill whatsoever: Harbor Cruises. Starting in June, when the weather improves, you can visit the Atlantic and still be back in time for class. The cruises last an hour and 15 minutes, from noon to 1:15, and are offered on Mondays from June 4 through September 24. The boat, which is painted in Beacon colors with UMass Boston logos, leaves from the Fox Point Dock right outside of the McCormack building.
If you’re more about having some fun on the shore, then you should definitely go and do some fishing from the Harborwalk. It might not be the first place you think of as a fishing spot, but many Boston locals use the pathway to angle. According to “Fish Boston,” striped bass, bluefish, cod, flounder, black sea bass and mackerel can be caught in the harbor when the season is right, usually between Memorial Day and Labor Day. While you’re more likely to get a trophy catch if you charter a boat, there is a chance that you can snag a prize from the Harborwalk if you use the right equipment and tackle. One word of caution: if you try to do your fishing by the light of the moon, just be advised that rats are known to scurry along the path at night. Expect to get a furry visitor at some point in the evening.
No matter what you do, enjoy the sea, because not every school has what we have. Even if it’s studying in the gazebo at the Fox Point Pavilion or hanging out with your significant other on a Harborwalk bench, students here forget about the ocean way too often, and the Atlantic is a force that shouldn’t be underestimated.
